GAINESVILLE, Fla., June 28 (Our Florida Times) — Green bananas are not necessarily a sign of a bad fruit bowl, and a University of Florida tropical fruit specialist says premature harvesting or cold storage can keep bananas from ripening the way shoppers expect.
Jonathan Crane, a retired tropical fruit crops specialist at the University of Florida’s Tropical Research and Education Center, said bananas picked too early may never develop full flavor or texture. He also said fruit exposed to temperatures that are too cold during storage or transport can suffer chilling injury and stay green or greenish-yellow.
Crane said bananas are best stored between 56 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nutrition experts say the color change also comes with a shift in what the fruit offers the body. Lauren Manaker, a South Carolina-based registered dietitian, said both ripe and green bananas provide potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C and other nutrients, but greener bananas contain more resistant starch.
Manaker said that if someone is watching blood sugar or wants more resistant starch, a greener banana may be a better fit.
A review published in the National Institutes of Health’s PMC database found that the most studied benefits of green banana consumption were tied to gastrointestinal symptoms and diseases, followed by glycemic and insulin metabolism and weight control.
Healthline has also said unripe green bananas are safe to eat and may be linked to resistant starch, pectin, digestion, fullness and blood sugar control. The outlet noted that bananas are typically harvested while still green so they do not become overripe before purchase.
